More generally, a message can consist of any electronic file.
With voice or videophone messages, there exist at present two principal solutions for depositing a message for an addressee if the addressee's terminal is busy or does not answer.
Firstly there are standard videophone answering machines connected to the addressee's terminal.
The major drawback of that first solution stems from the fact that the user of the service needs to acquire hardware (an answering machine) to receive messages.
That solution cannot take the form of a service provided by a telecommunications network operator.
A service that is available from telecommunications operators is also known that enables a caller to deposit a message on a messaging platform managed by the operator.
The major drawback of that second solution lies in the fact that the messaging platform is a centralized point of the architecture of the telecommunications network.
Obviously, this centralization renders the technical solution relatively vulnerable in the face of attacks or malfunctions.